Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade sees heavy securityNEW YORK — Americans paused Thursday to celebrate their blessings despite terrorism fears and racial tensions over fatal police shootings across the country. A record number of police officers patrolled the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, while St. Louis resumed its annual parade, canceled last year amid protests over Michael Brown’s death. At the White House, President Barack Obama spent a quiet holiday with a traditional meal. He...

Projects stall after feds allow fish farming in the open oceanSAN DIEGO — Some 90 percent of seafood consumed by Americans is imported — a fact that the Obama administration vowed to start turning around by expanding fish and shellfish farms into federal waters. Yet nearly two years since the first permit was issued, the United States still has no offshore farms. The pioneers of offshore aquaculture say their plans have stalled or been abandoned because of the long and expensive federal permitting proces...

Mutated mosquitoesWASHINGTON — California researchers hatched some malaria-resistant mosquitoes and then gave evolution a shove — using a groundbreaking technology to ensure the insects pass on that protective gene as they reproduce, with implications far beyond the promise of fighting malaria. The experiment reported Monday involves what’s called a “gene drive,” a technique that, if it pans out, promises to alter the genetics of populations of insects and cert...

Obamas spend holiday at White House this yearWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says Thanksgiving is a day for food, football and hoping “the turkey didn’t turn out too dry.” Even if the White House’s thyme-roasted bird didn’t turn out to be the moistest, the first family’s menu boasted more than enough other choices to fill the stomach. There was honey-baked ham with apricot-mustard glaze, and prime rib and creamed horseradish, according to the White House. Two kinds of stuffing: cornb...

White House undergoes holiday lockdown after man jumps fence WASHINGTON — A man draped in an American flag climbed over the fence at the White House on Thursday, prompting a lockdown as the first family celebrated Thanksgiving. The man was immediately apprehended and taken into custody pending criminal charges, the Secret Service said in a statement. The incident took place about 2:45 p.m. EST. An image of a man atop a section of fence in front of the North Lawn was posted on the website of television s...

Report: Abortions in U.S. decliningNEW YORK — U.S. abortions continue to fall, according to a new federal report released Wednesday. Federal statistics show abortions have been in a general decline for about 25 years. The number of reported abortions dropped 4 percent in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. About 699,000 abortions were reported to the federal government that year. That’s about 31,000 fewer than the year before. Experts offer various re...

Youngest US chess master, 10: I've got to work on my endgame GREENWICH, Conn. — At age 10, Maximillian Lu is the youngest-ever chess master in the U.S. Even so, he sees room for improvement. The distinction of being a national master belongs to less than 2 percent of U.S. Chess Federation members and is earned by racking up at least 2,200 points in competitions. It's a rarity among children, but Lu shrugs it off, saying he needs to work on his endgame. "It's all right. I have to improve other stuff," he...

Endangered white rhino dies at San Diego-area zoo SAN DIEGO — One of only four northern white rhinos believed left in the world died Sunday at San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Nola, a 41-year-old female who has been at the park since 1989, was euthanized after her health took a turn for the worse, a zoo statement said. The geriatric rhino had arthritis and other ailments and was being treated for a bacterial infection linked to an abscess in her hip. Nola had surgery on Nov. 13 to drain the abscess...

Storm to send rain, snow across central U.S. on Thanksgiving DayAccuWeather reports a storm, complete with soaking rain, snow, cold winds and possibly even ice, will focus on the central United States on Thanksgiving Day. The Thanksgiving Day storm will center at the collision point between warmer air surging across the Eastern U.S. and chilly air gripping the West and plunging southward through the Plains. The result will be for a large swath of rain and snow to unfold with the potential for a narrow zone...

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By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist for AccuWeather.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

TV Buying Guide: Get out tape measure before shoppingLOS ANGELES (AP) — If you're shopping for a TV, get out a tape measure and do some quick calculations before you head to the store. And count the number of gadgets you'll want to connect to your screen. Buying a TV is no longer just choosing how big a screen you want. Here are some big decisions you'll face: ___ HD OR 4K? There's an emerging picture standard that offers four times the pixels of today's high definition. It's known as ultra-high...

$160B deal to combine Pfizer and Allergan raises outcryA $160 billion deal announced Monday to merge Pfizer and Allergan and create the world's biggest drug company renewed the outcry in Washington over "inversions," in which U.S. corporations combine with companies overseas to lower their tax bill. The combination — the second-largest merger in history — could have ramifications around the globe, pushing up drug prices and spurring more such deals in the fast-consolidating health care sector and ...

Amish man runs marathon in traditional slacks and suspenders HARRISBURG, Pa. — An Amish man turned heads as he whizzed by fellow runners at a recent marathon — not because of his speed but because of his unusual racing attire. Twenty-two-year-old Leroy Stolzfus finished the 26.2-mile Harrisburg Marathon on Nov. 8 in just over three hours and five minutes, all while wearing his community's traditional clothing, Pennlive.com reported (http://bit.ly/1NHihb1). Stolzfus said he's used to running in slacks an...

Chevrolet wins ‘Green Car of the Year’LOS ANGELES — An auto industry magazine has named the 2016 Chevrolet Volt its “Green Car of the Year.” The hybrid gas-electric Volt was honored Thursday at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Green Car Journal says the car won because of its extended range. Government fuel-economy figures show that the Volt can go 53 miles on electric power alone and 420 miles on gas and battery power. It’s the second time Green Car Journal has recognized the Volt, whi...

Nun who faced Billy the Kid closer to sainthoodALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An Italian-born nun who challenged Billy the Kid, calmed angry mobs and helped open hospitals and schools in New Mexico territory took a step Friday toward possible sainthood with documents about her purported good deeds being sent to Rome. In a public Albuquerque ceremony, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe formally closed its inquiry on why Sister Blandina Segale should become a saint and sealed its findings. Church Investigator...

Bush calls for ground forces to fight ISCHARLESTON, S.C. — Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush on Wednesday called for the U.S. to send more troops to the Middle East to fight the Islamic State. “This is the war of our time,” the former Florida governor said at the Citadel five days after Islamic State militants attacked Paris and killed 129 people. “Radical Islamic terrorists have declared war on the western world. Their aim is our total destruction. We can’t withdraw from t...

Dinosaur claws among items on annual list of dangerous toys BOSTON — Dinosaur claws inspired by the movie "Jurassic World" and a quick-folding trampoline are among the items on a consumer watchdog group's annual list of hazardous toys released Wednesday. The Massachusetts-based World Against Toys Causing Harm says the toys singled out as the 10 most dangerous for Christmas this year represent common problems and aren't the only potentially dangerous products on the market. The Toy Industry Association ...

Census Bureau considers classification changesALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Census Bureau is considering changes to its race and ethnicity questions that would reclassify some minorities who were considered “white” in the past, a move that may speed up the date when America’s white population falls below 50 percent. Census Director John Thompson told The Associated Press this week that the bureau is testing a number of new questions and may combine its race and ethnicity questions into one cate...

‘Secret Agent Man’ songwriter P.F. Sloan diesLOS ANGELES — P.F. Sloan, the troubled songwriter behind such classic 1960s tunes as Johnny Rivers’ “Secret Agent Man” and Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction,” has died. He was 70. Howard Wuelfing, a spokesman for Sloan, said the singer-songwriter died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles after battling pancreatic cancer for several weeks. Born Philip Gary Schlein in New York City, Sloan signed his first record deal when he was 13 and went on to...

CDC report: STD epidemic getting worse in AmericaCHICAGO — A U.S. sexually transmitted diseases epidemic is increasing and the most common infection, chlamydia, has risen to record levels, government officials say. Reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis all increased in 2014. Chlamydia cases had dipped in 2013, but last year’s total of more than 1.4 million — or 456 cases per 100,000 — was the highest number of annual cases of any condition ever reported to the federal Centers f...

Plan for Olympic village on shaky groundLOS ANGELES — Los Angeles’ proposed Olympic village might need a new address. Less than three months after the city was selected as the U.S. candidate for the 2024 Olympic Games, plans to build a sprawling community for 17,000 athletes near downtown appeared to be in doubt and a search is underway for possible alternatives. The committee steering the city’s bid had proposed a $1 billion development on a rail yard where thousands of athletes wo...